Mutual Aid Beacon is partnering with other local groups to help offer rides to the polls for people who need help getting there.
If you would like a ride to the polls, please call or text 845-288-1865.
Early voting is taking place from now until Sunday, November 1st. The closest site is the Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52, Fishkill, NY
The schedule for early voting is:
Thurs. Oct. 29 – 12 pm to 8 pm
Fri. Oct. 30 – 9 am to 5 pm
Sat. Oct 31 – 9 am to 4 pm
Sun. Nov. 1 – 12 pm to 5 pm
Election day is next Tuesday, November 3rd, voting will be at your usual polling site.
If you are older or have a disability, either visible or invisible, you can go to the head of the voting line. If you have an absentee ballot, you do not have to wait in line, but can go to the front and drop it in the drop box.
Please be aware that lines are long at the early voting sites, so bring lots of layers, food, water and be prepared to wait.
If you would like a ride to the polls, please call or text 845-288-1865.
2021 Plan Reduces Spending with No Layoffs and No Tax Increase while Maintaining Critical Services and Programs
Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro released his 2021 Executive Budget proposal online today at www.dutchessny.gov/2021Budget with a video message and a new interactive Budget-in-Brief webpage in light of ongoing COVID-19 precautions. Despite continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including uncertain revenues, the County Executive’s $502 million budget proposal reduces county spending by more than $18 million or 3.6%, with no layoffs and no increase to property taxes. The budget maintains County services and programs, with new initiatives addressing homelessness and housing, youth services, and police reform, as well as continued funding for senior services, mental health, infrastructure improvements, County parks and other critical services.
“We couldn’t have entered this crisis any stronger financially. However, the fiscal challenges have never been greater…significant loss in revenue, no federal aid in sight, cuts from Albany … but we are not shrinking from our responsibilities to build a government that is smaller, smarter and more efficient. We are all working hard to be creative, innovative to meet the needs and demands of county residents and we are doing all this without passing the burden to taxpayers and holding the line on spending,” said County Executive Molinaro. “The 2021 Budget is a plan is a commitment to confronting challenges we face and working to solve those problems… together.”
The proposed budget plan reduces the county property tax levy, albeit modestly, for the seventh consecutive year and cuts the property tax rate for homeowners and businesses for the sixth straight year. The 2021 property tax levy (amount collected countywide from property taxes) proposed in the Executive Budget is $105,331,099, slightly less than the 2020 levy. The tax rate, which is calculated by dividing the property tax levy by full value assessments, will drop by 2.5% from $3.26 to $3.18 per $1,000 of true value assessments as a result of holding the line on the tax levy, as well as the continued growth in true value assessments (tax base). The County’s tax base has increased over the last six years to $33.2 billion in 2021 with continued focus on economic development and job growth.
Total 2021 appropriations equal $501,832,097, down $18.6 million, or 3.6%, from 2020 modified budget. The largest change in spending comes from personnel, as salaries and benefits account for nearly 40% of total expenses. Following the County’s voluntary retirement/separation incentive program offered this summer, more than 150 employees were approved for the incentive and will separate from County employment by the end of 2020. Positions will be eliminated, held vacant or offset with other position savings in the 2021 budget, for total 2021 savings of nearly $11 million. Positions were carefully evaluated and County department heads worked diligently to evaluate each position and make necessary adjustments; restructuring and realigning staffing to ensure services and programs continue with minimal impact. Certain key positions were not approved for the incentive, including positions related to opioid and substance use prevention. There were also a few new positions added to the budget, primarily funded with state or federal grants, including temporary positions in the Department of Behavioral & Community Health for COVD-19 case investigation and contact tracing coordination. The net result is a total of 32.5 positions permanently eliminated and 106 positions temporarily eliminated (held vacant) in 2021.
Over the past nine years, ensuring the County established and maintained a healthy fund balance to face unexpected economic changes has been a priority for County Executive Molinaro’s administration. That healthy fund balance, combined with cost-saving measures, has enabled the County to withstand sales tax revenue loss and state funding delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 budget plan allocates $9.9 million of unassigned general fund balance, less than appropriated in the last five years. Just over $1 million is allocated from other fund balances, including the D, E and S funds and $1.5 million is allocated from a restricted reserve fund for debt repayment, which will offset debt service. This fund balance appropriation keeps the total projected available general fund balance in line with the County’s fund balance goal of maintaining one to two months of general fund operating expenditures in unrestricted general fund balance to ensure continued financial stability.
Among the programs and initiatives highlighted in the 2021 Executive Budget:
Homelessness & Housing
To address homelessness and housing needs in the community, the 2021 budget includes multiple initiatives, detailed previously HERE, including new eviction prevention resources, rental support programming, safe and central homeless services including a one stop contact center in coordination with community partners. Additionally, a new Deputy Commissioner for Housing will coordinate these initiatives, as well as focus on developing greater supply of affordable housing including coordinating a housing needs assessment. Watch the Video
Youth Services/Path to Promise
The 2021 Executive Budget continues critical investment in children and families, with a 40% increase in Path to Promise investment, as announced HERE. Initiatives include a new Youth Advocated Program, pre-school readiness support for parents, training for high- quality day care providers through the Day One initiative and commitment to future development of a Youth Opportunity Center in the City of Poughkeepsie. Watch the Video
Police Reform & Mental Health
In 2021, the collaboration among the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, local police agencies and the local community continues as part of Dutchess County’s Police Reform Initiative. As previously announced HERE, the 2021 Executive Budget includes funding for procedural justice, implicit bias, and crisis intervention training. Other initiatives include mandatory body cameras for Dutchess County Sheriff Deputies and changes to the police exam qualifications to develop a more diverse candidate pool for police agency hiring. Additionally, the budget continues investment in on-demand community mental health services, medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders and our 24/7 mental health HELPLINE. Watch the Video
Economic Development/Tourism/Arts/Agriculture
• Nearly $350,000 allocated for the Th!nk Dutchess Alliance for Business to support business retention, expansion and attraction. • $1.4 million investment in Dutchess Tourism, Inc. for regional tourism and arts promotion. • $270,556 funding, level with 2020, for Arts Mid-Hudson, which supports 19 arts organizations, including the iconic Bardavon 1869 Opera House, as well as the Hudson Valley Film Commission. • Investment in agriculture with more than $700,000 for Cornell Cooperative Extension as well as continued support for the Agricultural Navigator and the Ag & Farmland Protection Board. The Partnership for Manageable Growth program will also support several conservation projects in 2021.
Other Budget Highlights:
• $1 million continued investment in the Agency Partner Grant program to support community non-profit organizations, addressing identified community needs including senior transportation, at-risk children, workforce development and more. • Road and bridge investment totaling more then $24 million in the Capital Plan and operating budget. • Continuation of the expanded senior home-delivered meal program. Demand for the program grew tremendously as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 200 additional hot meals being delivered to seniors per week. • Investment in County Parks continues as plans get underway to provide access to the recently acquired Lake Walton Preserve in East Fishkill and improvements will be made to Quiet Cove Riverfront Park. Development concepts for the new urban rail trail network in the City of Poughkeepsie will also begin in 2021.
The 2021 Executive Budget documents are available online at dutchessny.gov. Residents are encouraged to review the budget documents, particularly the interactive Budget in Brief webpage. The webpage guides citizens through key areas of the county budget and features charts and graphics providing various data such as tax levy history, assessed value and more that users can hover over or click through to see data points, definitions and other key information points.
Residents are also encouraged to participate in a special live countywide tele-town hall forum tonight, October 28th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The tele-town hall call-in number is (845) 765-7121. The conversation will also be broadcast on the County’s Facebook page. Residents can learn about key components of the 2021 budget, ask questions, and share feedback. There will be additional virtual town hall forums about the 2021 budget in November:
• Tuesday, November 10th at 12pm on Facebook Live • Thursday, November 12th at 8am (Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Virtual Breakfast Event) Event is open to all – must register online at the DCRCOC website • Thursday, November 19th at 6pm on Facebook Live
By October, fall is in full swing. The weather is cool and crisp, the leaves are changing, pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and kids across the nation will be donning their costumes soon. October also marks Health Literacy Month and American Pharmacist Month, which for us at FamilyWize are as important as Halloween is.
Every year, autumn presents a major healthcare decision: choosing, or changing, your insurance plan. If you receive your insurance through your employer, this period—known as open enrollment—often starts in the fall. The same goes for Medicare and other government-funded programs. No matter the plan you’re on, it can lead to a lot of confusion. In honor of Health Literacy Month, we have broken down the essentials to help you to make the best decision for your health. Here’s all you need to know about open enrollment.
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Transitional housing, expanded case management, land bank seed funding among resources in County Executive’s spending plan
Poughkeepsie, NY … Ahead of his 2021 Executive Budget release on Wednesday, Oct. 28th, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced his proposed budget includes new initiatives to combat homelessness and expand housing options for the County’s most vulnerable residents.
County Executive Molinaro said, “A home is more than just a physical space – it’s the foundation of hope, from which successful lives are created and fruitful futures are nurtured. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live in a safe and affordable home, and Dutchess County has led by example with our efforts to increase those opportunities for residents. My 2021 Executive Budget builds on our successful work of recent years, provides more resources and establishes further community collaboration to decrease Dutchess County’s homeless population while increasing hope for those looking to flourish.”
In 2019, an interdisciplinary team of housing service providers and officials from County and local governments met to re-imagine and reinvigorate how to address homelessness. This team identified areas of concern, including the increasing length of stay for those in shelters; cost and inefficiency of placing individuals and families in local motels; lack of diverse housing options; and difficulty in providing services to a dispersed homeless population.
Based on the workgroup’s findings, Dutchess County implemented several inventive measures to reduce the County’s homeless population, provide more effective transitional housing and increase the availability of affordable housing, including:
● Establishing a one-stop contact center for households facing eviction, the first step towards a more comprehensive system to centralize the County’s established housing services to provide information and support to those searching for affordable housing, help access available financial assistance and connect with financial planning and legal services;
● Engaging local hospitals and state-run correctional facilities, to ensure appropriate re-entry planning prior to the release of patients or incarcerated individuals;
● Developing new, centralized emergency and transitional housing solutions to reduce reliance on costly motels for temporary housing; and
● Increasing access to affordable housing by working with local municipalities to add zoning language and land use policy to expand rental and housing options; engaging builders to develop market- and submarket-rate housing as part of larger projects; and training local municipal, planning, and zoning board members on what constitutes affordable housing and reinforcing its importance.
Although 2020 upended many of the County’s best-laid plans, much was still achieved, and new opportunities arose from the tumult caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting vulnerable populations was of paramount importance, and no group was more vulnerable than those experiencing homelessness. Individuals experiencing homelessness have limited access to healthcare, often have pre-existing conditions, and are at greater risk of exposure due to their circumstances and living conditions. Understanding this problem, on March 22nd, the County Executive issued an emergency order allowing the recently vacant temporary housing units (PODS) at the Dutchess County Sheriff campus to be repurposed as emergency shelters for those in need. In partnership with Hudson River Housing (HRH), Mental Health America (MHA) and Dutchess Outreach, the County has provided meals and a safe space, allowing for more social distancing. Among other outreach efforts, members of the Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County have administered free flu shots for guests at the PODS; the Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) has provided mental health resources; and the Department of Community and Family Services (DCFS) has provided supportive services.
In 2021, the use of the PODS will continue while a more permanent solution is developed. County Executive Molinaro’s Executive Budget includes nearly $900,000 in funding, in addition to $1 million in United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funding that was directed to Hudson River Housing to continue to serve individuals experiencing homelessness in the PODS and provide 24/7 staffing. This partnership will allow for the continued centralization of services, including case management to assist individuals in transitioning to permanent housing. The use of the PODS as a homeless shelter also allows Webster House, the former overnight emergency shelter, to be converted to transitional housing, which not only more appropriately uses that space, but meets one of County Executive Molinaro’s goals by expanding access to transitional housing.
Among the County Executive’s other new initiatives in his 2021 Executive Budget:
● Addressing homelessness requires a focus on preventing homelessness and diverting individuals from shelters to more sustainable housing options. DCFS continues to help individuals experiencing a housing crisis to identify alternatives, such as aiding in resolving disputes with landlords. The Department’s diversion programs often provide supportive services referrals, including limited financial assistance to cover back rent or move-in costs. Additionally, $140,000 in State grant funding is being directed to Hudson River Housing to help individuals in-need cover their rental arrears. The County also expects to use a significant amount of resources (up to $800,000) from the federal CDBG-CV grant to cover rental arrears to stabilize families at risk of eviction.
● To further Dutchess County’s goal of preventing and overall increasing the efficiency of housing service, the 2019 workgroup identified creating a single point of contact as critical reform. With the support of a $100,000 HUD grant, Dutchess County is partnering with the United Way’s 211 helpline and local housing service agencies to create a centralized entry point for eviction prevention, transitional housing information and other related support services. This will allow individuals-in-need a simpler way to connect with services and allow for greater coordination of such services across agencies and networks.
Just as important as diversion and prevention, is understanding the barriers to permanent housing, as well as a commitment to eliminate those barriers. Housing case management helps individuals experiencing complex sets of social, substance use and family challenges address these issues thereby promoting greater housing stability and preventing homelessness. Another critical barrier is the availability of affordable housing — a major focus of the 2019 workgroup. The COVID-related exodus from New York City has put even further pressure on the housing supply in Dutchess County.
To further the critical work of creating affordable housing, County Executive Molinaro’s 2021 Executive Budget also provides:
● Funding for the County’s Department of Planning and Development to conduct a housing needs assessment, which will provide critical data about the community’s housing needs and allow for the County’s policies, strategies, and goals to be data-driven. This project will be part of a larger initiative within the planning department to engage with the public, local leaders and the development community on the need for and how to create a more diverse housing stock in the County.
● $100,000 in seed funding for the Dutchess County and City of Poughkeepsie Land Bank, which will allow both the County and the City to return vacant, abandoned and tax-delinquent properties in the community to productive use creating opportunities for more affordable housing projects.
● Creation of a Deputy Commissioner for Housing, who will focus on addressing our community’s challenges regarding affordable housing and homelessness issues. Anne Saylor, the Department of Planning and Development’s current Community Development Administrator, will assume this role and lead the County’s efforts to find solutions to address the transitional housing needs and appropriate support services, which will allow individuals to move to and maintain permanent housing and independent living.
County Executive Molinaro will release his 2021 Executive Budget Address online at http://www.DutchessNY.gov on Wednesday, Oct. 28th in advance of the Nov. 1st deadline required by the Dutchess County Administrative Code. Later that evening at 5:30 p.m., County Executive Molinaro and Budget Director Jessica White will host a countywide Tele-Town Hall, which residents can access by calling (845) 765-7121 or watching on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page. Residents will have the opportunity to participate in the live conversation about the 2021 Executive Budget, learn key details, ask questions and share feedback. County Executive Molinaro will also host a series of virtual 2021 Executive Budget town hall forums during the month of November.
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today hosted his latest online Town Hall Forum, discussing his 2021 Executive Budget and COVID-19 pandemic, among other topics, with residents and answering their questions.
County Executive Molinaro will release his 2021 Executive Budget at 11 a.m. on Oct. 28th, on the Dutchess County Government website – which will include his budget message; budget documents, including an interactive “Budget in Brief” flyer; and videos outlining several key initiatives – and the County Executive will host several subsequent virtual forums to discuss his budget proposal with residents:
• Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 5:30 p.m. – Tele-Town Hall Forum, during which residents can call (845) 765-7121 to take part in the conversation and ask questions; this forum will also be broadcast live on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page. • Tuesday, Nov. 10th at noon – A virtual Town Hall Forum, which will be broadcast on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page, offering residents the chance to watch and ask questions. • Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6 p.m. – A virtual Town Hall Forum, which will be broadcast on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page, offering residents the chance to watch and ask questions.
As with all his virtual forums, County Executive Molinaro will be joined by American Sign Language interpreters, who will translate the conversation for viewers.
Additionally, County Executive Molinaro today discussed several of the youth services initiatives in his 2021 Executive Budget, which continue many of the successful programs that have benefited the County’s young people and will expand the scope of services for youth.
Among the other highlights of today’s conversation:
o 203,960 tests completed o 5,355 confirmed cases o 154 active cases o 13 hospitalizations o 164 deaths o 5,037 recovered o 2% regional positivity rate o Dutchess County’s positivity rate was 0.9% on Wednesday, Oct. 21st
• While Bard College has announced a precautionary closure of its Annandale campus to visitors, the Dutchess County Department of Health (DBCH) confirms there are no active cases of COVID-19 associated with the school. More specific information is available on the Bard College website. DBCH continues to work with leadership at all colleges located in Dutchess County, as needed, to identify potential cases and clusters, and perform contact tracing.
• The cluster reported at Marist College relating to an October 3rd gathering has run its course, with a total of 30 cases in the cluster, according to DBCH. Marist College lifted its precautionary campus pause on Saturday, Oct. 17th. Specific information about campus activities is available at http://www.marist.edu.
• The Hedgewood Home for Adults in Beacon Assisted Living Facility is also considered resolved, with no new positive cases reported and no active cases within the facility.
• The three states that neighbor New York – Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – now meet the criteria for the State’s travel advisory, but earlier this week Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a quarantine following travel to these states is impractical, given the interconnected nature of the region. He has hence discouraged non-essential travel to these states. There are currently 40 states and territories on the state’s travel advisory list, as Arizona and Maryland were added earlier this week.
• The Governor announced on Saturday that movie theaters are allowed to reopen, beginning this Friday, following the state’s announcement this past weekend they can only open in counties with no cluster zones and less than a 2-percent positivity rate. In order to reopen, theaters in such areas, including Dutchess County, must limit their capacity to 25 percent and no more than 50 patrons per screen.
• It was also announced this weekend that ski resorts will be able to open starting Nov. 6th. Masks will be required when individuals are not eating, drinking or skiing. Ski lift use will be restricted to members of the same party and facilities must follow thorough cleaning and disinfection protocols for rented equipment as well as other health and safety protocols.
• As part of the DEA’s 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, Oct. 24th, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and Dutchess County STOP-DWI Program will hold three collection locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where residents can drop off unused/unwanted medications for safe disposal:
Fishkill Walmart 26 West Merritt Blvd Fishkill, NY 12524
Dover CVS 3081 Route 22 Dover Plains, NY 12522
LaGrange Walgreens 704 Freedom Plains RD Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
In October 2019, 262 pounds of unused/unwanted medications were collected and turned over to the DEA as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
An archive of the County Executive’s 40-plus virtual events since mid-March, including today’s discussion, is available on the Dutchess County Government YouTube page.
County Executive Molinaro will hold his next countywide Telephone and Facebook LIVE Town Hall Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 5:30 p.m. Residents can call (845) 765-7121 to take part in the conversation and ask questions; this forum will also be broadcast live on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page. As with all his previous online forums, County Executive Molinaro will be joined by American Sign Language interpreters, who will translate the conversation.
Increased ‘Path to Promise’ spending, programs for at-risk youth, online resources among County Executive’s budget proposals
Poughkeepsie, NY … In anticipation of his 2021 Executive Budget presentation on Wednesday, Oct. 28th, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced his budget proposal will continue funding for many of the successful programs that have benefited the County’s young people in recent years, while expanding the scope of youth services with several new initiatives.
Reaffirming his commitment of as much as $25 million to build a youth opportunity center in the City of Poughkeepsie on the site of the former YMCA, a partnership between the County, the City and a coalition of community agencies, County Executive Molinaro said his 2021 Executive Budget will increase funding for additional youth services, including the County’s innovative “Path to Promise” (P2P) initiative, which strives to provide all youth ages 0-19 the necessary assets to become successful young adults. You can watch an overview below:
County Executive Molinaro said, “Never has it been more critical to care for the needs of Dutchess County’s young people, with their personal lives, education experience and ability to just be a kid having been turned upside down! My 2021 Executive Budget increases opportunities for our kids, offering our new programming and initiatives to bolster their development in so many ways – physically, mentally, educationally – while improving their safety and their ability to succeed.”
In addition to a 40-percent increase in the budget for “Path to Promise,” which will expand grants to community partners, broadening the reach of this critical initiative, County Executive Molinaro’s 2021 Executive Budget includes new initiatives pertaining to youth services, including:
The latest expansion of the P2P initiative is the launch of a website, which will provide young people and families the ability to locate available services based on any number of criteria (service category, age, location). In subsequent phases, the County will utilize the website to track and analyze data related to the six P2P domains – Learning, Material Basics, Safety, Physical Health, Mental Health, Family/Social Relationships – and other performance indicators, allowing the County to make informed decisions about funding current and future programs. The County will continue its engagement with local school districts to procure similar aggregate student data to measure success.
To complement the aforementioned website, a P2P digital hub – a partnership with The Art Effect, consisting of an additional website and accompanying social media account – will help youth continue the conversation by using this digital space to receive positive messages from their peers; learn about local resources, including internship and job opportunities; and share their voice and artwork to support each other. Young people were hired to work on this project and engage with their peers, embodying the P2P motto: Nothing About Me Without Me.
Through a collaboration between the County and a community partner, vulnerable young people will receive the opportunity to enjoy nature in a rural setting through a unique camp experience that will offer them mentors to bolster their personal development, athletic ability and self-sufficiency.
Continuing its efforts to provide community-based alternatives to out-of-home care for young people identified at high risk of entering the juvenile justice system, the County will employ the nationally recognized Youth Advocate Program to keep these youth safely in their homes. This program offers significant savings for taxpayers, but even more importantly, provides these children and their families with intensive services in their homes and community, including case management, crisis intervention services available 24/7 and other supports. The program utilizes best practices and core principles found in mentoring, restorative justice and positive youth development.
The nationally recognized, evidence-based Ready4K! family engagement curriculum provides families with daily text messages that include facts and easy tips on how to promote their children’s development by building on existing family routines, and the County will begin a pilot program to provide this service to parents seeking to support their children’s literacy development.
County Executive Molinaro’s 2021 Executive Budget will be released on Wednesday, Oct. 28th on the Dutchess County Government website, where residents will find his full budget message and documents. More information about existing youth services programs is available on the Division of Youth Services’ webpage.
The BHA office does close due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions. We recommend that you call ahead if you have an appointment and the weather is questionable.
